Alabama's Great Strategic Fakeout

By

Rachel Bachman

Jan. 6, 2013 2:07 p.m. ET

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Alabama's genius in football recruiting isn't limited to unearthing the nation's best players and coaxing them to move to Tuscaloosa, Ala. The reigning national champion, which plays Notre Dame in Monday's Bowl Championship Series title game, also finds success in a little-known but brilliant strategy: savvy marketing.

ENLARGE

Under defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, Alabama runs a 4-3 defense even though it often says it uses the 3-4 formation.
Associated Press

The Crimson Tide most often lines up in a 4-3, the most common defense in college football. That is a formation with four defensive linemen—two tackles in the middle and two defensive ends—and three linebackers. But Alabama broadcasts to the world that it runs a 3-4 defense, with three linemen and four linebackers.

Why would the Tide advertise one thing and run something completely different?

"We feel it allows you to do more and recruit more guys," said Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban's team, the defending national champion, is building the only dynasty in college football. WSJ's Matthew Futterman discusses how Alabama's football culture and a relentless recruiting strategy put this team on top. Photo: Getty Images.

Players and coaches from both Notre Dame and Alabama eagerly await what promises to be an epic BCS championship game on Monday. Photo: Associated Press.

Publicizing that it runs a 3-4 lets the Tide dangle four linebacker positions to recruits, which helps Alabama make a more persuasive pitch to talented linebackers. Landing top linebackers is critical not only because they're the do-everything players between the front-line run-stoppers and back-line pass defenders but also because they give Alabama more flexibility on defense. Alabama's starting linebackers are all 6-foot-2 and more than 230 pounds, right between the size of linemen and the secondary.

The Tide often recruits players who were standout defensive ends in high school but aren't big enough to play the position in college. "A lot of times that's more intriguing to a kid—to play outside linebacker (rather) than, say, d-end," Smart said. The 3-4 offers those players more places to land.

The pitch sometimes works the other way, too, helping the Tide land a skilled linebacker who bulks up into a standout defensive lineman. "A lot of kids grow into other positions," Smart said.

Another advantage of Alabama identifying itself with the 3-4 is its association with successful professional teams. "When you look at the Houston Texans right now, they're a 3-4," Smart said. "Cowboys, Ravens, New England—a lot of those teams are playing 3-4 defenses. We style ourselves after that." Top-notch high school recruits are drawn to college programs that can prepare them for the NFL, and no college team has associated itself more closely with the pros than Alabama.

Like other college teams, the Tide changes its defensive alignments to counter its opponent's strategy. Power-running teams like Georgia and Louisiana State command a 3-4 defense, and Notre Dame probably will, too. (The Fighting Irish also run a 3-4 defense, led by linebacker and Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Te'o.)

But many other teams call for a four-man line. "If they want to be Texas A&M and spread you out, we're going to be a little more 4-3," Smart said. "More teams in college are now spread, so we're in that (defense) a little more. But we still recruit our base on being big and physical and recruiting to the 3-4 defense."

Alabama defensive end Damion Square acknowledged that the 4-3 defense is generally more attractive to linemen because it gives them more chances to sack the quarterback. But he said he enjoys the challenge of keeping opposing players away from the Tide's linebackers.

C.J. Mosley, an Alabama linebacker, didn't much care during his recruitment what kind of defense the Tide ran, "as long as I was going to be on the field and be able to play," he said. "That was the main thing."

Alabama's defensive strategy seems to be working. The Tide ranks No. 1 in the nation in total defense with 246 total yards allowed per game and first in rushing defense with fewer than 80 yards allowed per game. Alabama is also No. 2 national in scoring defense behind only Notre Dame.

But Smart said that Alabama continuing to call its defense a 3-4 despite lining up in it a fraction of the time has backfired at times. "There's kids that say, 'I want to play in a 4-3. I'm not coming to you,'' Smart said. "We're sitting here going, 'We really are a 4-3 most of the time,' and they don't believe it. Because the other schools tell them, 'They're 3-4.'"

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